


Phasma Phasmatis ex Machina

by Dellessa, patrickthewriter



Category: Transformers: Prime
Genre: Big Bang Challenge, Ghost Hunters, Horror Big bang, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-28
Updated: 2013-11-28
Packaged: 2018-01-02 21:00:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,371
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1061596
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dellessa/pseuds/Dellessa, https://archiveofourown.org/users/patrickthewriter/pseuds/patrickthewriter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Three wanna-be ghost hunters draw the attention of the Autobots, bringing back a great evil from their past.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Phasma Phasmatis ex Machina

Title: Phasma Phasmatis ex Machina  
Rating: T  
Fandom:Transformers  
Pairings/Characters: Ratchet, Jack, Rafael, OC, Ensemble.  
Warnings: Violence. Minor Character Death.   
Notes:For horror big bang 2013  
Summary: Three wanna-be ghost hunters draw the attention of the Autobots, bringing back a great evil from their past. 

 

The old power station was dark as the group walked inside, shining their flashlights in dark corners and carrying digital recorders hoping to catch some tangible proof of the world beyond. They sat of their equipment, chatting loudly with each other, kicking up dust as they went about their business. 

"Let me start my intro." The larger of the two boys said. "Get that camera," he gestured to the smaller one.

"Damien, don't be a douche!" Lucy yelled. "You said I could do it. Micah, point that at me"

He turned the camera strapped to his palm. “Look, make up your mind. The batteries will only last so long, and I got to get these back to the store in one piece."

"After tonight, you'll be buying them instead of just borrowing them. We'll be rich!"

"Right, whatever."

Damien put his arm around Micah's shoulder, "Look, you gotta believe!"

"No, I'm as serious about getting proof as you, but a show? On cable?" He angled the camera down to look at both of them. "You’re both full of shit."

"Whatever," Lucy echoed. "Just let him yammer, and get the spirit boxes out."

"I know, I've done this before," Micah sighed. He was their tech who only got to be the tech because he was an assistant manager at Radio Shack.

"I need to make myself receptive." Lucy shook her arms before rubbing her hands together. She was the group's medium. "Wish I'd known how cold it would be tonight." 

She looked at Damien, the face and historian of the group. "What happened here?"

"Flood back in the Eighties took this place out. It drowned some of the workers, but people always thought this place was haunted." He pointed up at the gantries above them. "Some people fell from up there when they were building the power station." 

He banged his fist on a metal wall, "But all the machines have been off for years. People sometimes see lights though."

"Okay, save the wiki for the camera," Micah said, raising the camera again.

Damien posed, flexing his muscles in his tight shirt. 

"We're the Ghost Whisperers and we're here--"

"No." Lucy interrupted. 

"Fuck." Micah dropped the camera again. 

"What, isn't that what you do?" Damien asked her. 

"Well, I'm too dumpy to look like Jennifer Love Hewitt, and you're too ugly." 

"And we'll be like sued or something, and that is the opposite of making bank." 

"Fine, screw the intro, let's just do what we're here to do."

"Finally!" Lucy said. 

"What, feel something?" Micah asked. 

"No, not with you two yelling like idiots."

“You’re yelling too,” Damien pointed out. “What does that make you?”

Lucy scowled at him, not bothering to answer, “Let’s just get this over with, okay?” 

“Fine,” Micah said, “Ready?” He raised the camera, following them as they moved through the dark building holding out the spirit box.

“Is there is anyone here?” Damien said, holding up the box. “Did you die here?”

Lucy rolled her eyes, “I---do feel a presence. It’s odd...tingling. I’ve never felt anything like it, but I’m not getting any kind of reading. Weird.” 

Micah followed as the walked in further, “Maybe we should go into the lower levels? I hear there are tunnels down there.” 

“Might be souls trapped down there when it flooded,” Lucy said, “I’m game if you want to. I have a really strong feeling we will find something there. The spirits want us to go there.” 

“But they’ll only talk to you?” Damien said, waving the spirit boxes as it filtered up and down the channels, broadcasting white noise.

“Well, enjoy your toys,” Lucy brushed them off, her arms outstretched and receptive. 

“The tunnels will be metal and brick lined,” Micah considered. “So it’d be harder to just pick up the odd word or two from Coast to Coast.”

“Exactly,” Lucy smirked as she warmed up to the idea. “Let’s go. I have a very good feeling about this.” They crossed the vaulted room to the service stairs, they were solid enough, and they made their way down into the cold depths below.

“I’m still not getting anything,” Damien complained as they walked down the last flight of stairs. 

“Have a little patience, man,” Micah said as they finally reached the bottom of the stairs. “Maybe they are just shy.” 

“Shy.” Damien repeated, sweeping his flashlight around the halls as they descended the depths. He glanced at the Electro-Magnetic reader clipped to his waist. It was bouncing around, but it could also be from whatever was in the machine works. 

“What’s that?” Lucy pointed up. 

A gust of wind was passing above them violently. Damien reached up, feeling something pass through his fingers. He strained his eyes as he looked back. “Tell me you got that!” 

“Got what?” Micah asked. “A draft from the tunnel?”

“That was something.”

“Wind,” Micah insisted. “Luce?”

“I…” She shook herself. “I’m cold.”

They all glanced at the outstretched Spirit Box. 

“Is there someone there?” Lucy asked, holding herself before stamping her foot and turning around in the hall. 

“Talk to us,” she yelled and pleaded with the dark. “Tell us who you are.”

The white noise ceased as it settled on a frequency. 

“It’s not supposed to do that,” Damien said. He banged on it. “Damn it, I think its broken.”

“Let me see,” Micah put the camera down on the dusty ground. He tried a few buttons, but it would not start the scan again. It lingered on an empty channel. 

Damien looked down at the EM Field reader, drawing it closer to the Spirit Box. It meters were redlining. It was oppressive. Lucy’s protection necklace started to pull towards the Spirit Box as well. Their eyes met. “Scared?” He asked.

“Yup,” She pushed her necklace back down.

There was a crackle, before a high pitched squeal over the spirit box. Finally it sparked, and its screen went dark. 

“What the fuck,” Damien yelped, dropping the equipment to the ground. “What the FUCK.” He put his burnt fingers in his mouth, cursing around them. 

Lucy stared, “Oh, it’s getting cold. Like really cold. I’m getting goosebumps. They are here, I can feel them.” 

Micah made a snorting noise, “Really? You sure about that? Looks like defective equipment to me.” 

“Micah! Shut up,” Lucy snapped, and leaned down, picking up the spirit box. “They are here and you are agitating them.” 

“Who are here?” Micah looked down the darkened hall, back the way they came. “We should go. Without this, we’re just wasting time.”

“Fine,” Damien agreed. “We’ll go back to the van, watch the video.”

“At my place,” Lucy said. “Not here.”

“Sure, sure,” Damien shook his head, turning and starting down the hall. 

“What the hell is this?” Micah lifted the camera from the floor. It was covered with a glowing liquid. “What am I going to do with this?”

“Take it with us,” Damien said. “It is probably ectoplasm.”

“Or just radioactive,” Micah sighed, holding the camera as far away from him as possible.

OoOoOoOoO

“Energon,” Raff looked up from the screen of his laptop when the alert came through. He glanced up at Ratchet. The ageing red and white Autobot was watching similar scans for Cybertronian activity at their command center hub at the military base outside of Jasper. 

“A rogue Energon reading?” He said. “Where? What kind?”

“Just regular old energon,” Raff shrugged. “Natural, I guess. Should we check it out?”

Ratchet looked down and frowned. He held his chin. “We should send Agent Fowler.”

“And if it is a ‘Con?”

“Their deserters have been quiet,” Ratchet said. “Those few left, and if they keep to the terms of their sanctuary on Earth, then…. It is probably just a piece of discarded technology from an old battle.”

“But this doesn’t check out with known battles sights. It looks like an abandoned power plant.”

He maneuvered to get a better look at Raf’s screen. “Arcee and Bumblebee sometimes forgot every location. And Cliffjumper,” He laughed. “He kept a better count of how many Vehicons he took down than where they were stashed.”

“Then if it is nothing, we should just go retrieve it, before someone finds it.”

“Fine, fine,” He said, activating the ground bridge and transforming. Six months and his human companions had grown up so much.

He opened a door as Raf grabbed his laptop and jumped in when Jack took the driver’s seat.

OoOoOoOoO

Lucy flipped the lights on as they all tumbled through the door of her little apartment after fumbling with her keys. She was home, she was safe. She felt better crossing the salt line carved into her wood floor. Still, she was covered in goosebumps she could not stop rubbing with her palms. Something had been there. 

She pointed them in the direction of her thrift-store couch. She ignored them, continuing into the kitchen. She grabbed a bottle of whiskey from her shelf. She poured a large shot into a glass 

“Dude!” Damien yelped at Micah in the background. 

“Shut the fuck up! Let me hook this up, asshole,” Micah snapped back, an argument brewing. Between trembles and the feeling of something crawling up her spine, she was content to let them squabble. Just as long as they did not get new blood stains on her couch. 

She threw back the glass, letting the sting of the alcohol warm her. She put the glass down with a hard thud.

“What the hell?” Damien said behind her.

“Don’t you want to see what we got?” Micah called, an edge in his voice. She snapped around, hiding the glass. She stared at him as he stood in the kitchen doorway. 

“Coming, just give me a second,” she said. She clawed at the cheap pressed wood of the underside of her countertop. 

He released a long sigh as she peeked over his shoulder at Damien. He was staring at the screen.

“Goddess, help me,” she whispered. She steeled herself. She was in her sanctum, her cave and temple. Nothing could hurt them there. Still… there was the fear.

“Get anything good?” She asked before finally letting go of safety. 

“I’m not sure,” Micah said, looking puzzled. He eyed the glass. “Got one for me?”

“Sure,” She said, pouring a second for him in the same glass. Still trembling, she offered it to him. Taking it, he pondered it before knocking it back. He looked up, meeting her eyes.

Swallowing hard, Lucy stepped forward, falling into his arms, wrapping him up tightly. She put her face against his shoulder. 

“What’s wrong? What did you feel?” Micah asked, finally treating her as seriously as he usually did. 

“We should wipe the card.” She said. “Fuck, destroy the card and the camera.” 

“Why?” He let her wriggle free. “Luce?”

“I don’t know,” She frowned. “Okay, a lot of what I feel might be bullshit, or just in my head. But this…” Lucy shivered again. “I was never touched by something so alien, so malevolent.”

“So Lovecraft?” He asked. 

“Don’t, Micah. Don’t make jokes. I mean this.” She balled up her fist in anger.

“Okay,” He stepped back with his hands in the air. “I surrender. Let’s just see what’s on the video, and try to make sure that goo isn’t radioactive.”

OoOoOoOoO

Ratchet flashed his emergency lights as they drove up the street from the where they found the reading. He was not a police car, but the flashing lights should get the humans to buzz off. He had seen a purple van screeching off from the scene. 

Rafael frowned, looking up from the Energon detector. “I think we’re too late.”

“The stronger reading is here,” Ratchet replied. “It is just a van, and not a Cybertronian.”

“But it is purple,” Raf suggested.

“But sparkless,” Ratchet added. “Log their destination. Let’s start here.” 

“Could be Mech,” He added.

“You know, Rafael,” Ratchet’s dashboard lit up as he chuckled. “You’re becoming a killjoy.”

Rafael growled under his breath. “Looks like they left the gate open.”

“Very well,” Ratchet pushed through the open gate slowly. He bounced over the gravel. He stopped to scan the building.

“Trace readings, there was something here,” Ratchet said, frowning. “Probably gone by now.” 

“Not gonna hurt to look, Ratchet. Come on,” Rafael bounced in his seat, “There might be something there.” 

“Fine, fine."

Raf jumped out and bounded towards the buildings, a flashlight pulled out of his backpack. 

Ratchet grunted at his exuberance, transforming and took off after Rafael, catching up with him in a matter of seconds. “Be careful!” he admonished, “You don’t know what is in there.” 

“And you don’t want to be seen,” Raf hissed, smacking his flashlight after it failed to come on after flicking the switch. It sputtered before coming back on. He looked up at Ratchet and his glowing blue eyes. “Get down!”

“Alright.” Ratchet relented. He hunkered down before frowning. He looked over the large building, scanning. 

Part of him felt like he could just sniff out the energon, like a human could food. However, he was just not blessed with that level of olfaction. Besides, energon just did not have that sort of appeal. 

Still, Ratchet scanned, and scanned. He frowned and scanned again. 

"Ratchet?" Rafael looked up at him before tucking the flashlight under his chin. They both check the readings on Raf's handheld unit. The readings was gone.

Then, somehow, the unit went dead. Raf smacked it hard with the palm of his hand before the batteries in the flashlight died too. 

Ratchet's eyes widened, there was a sudden strain, a pull on his energy and spark. It was as if something was trying to latch on, and leach away his own reserves. 

He back away fearfully, snatching up Rafael. He leapt into a run, crashing through the gate before lunging into ambulance mode with his young charge in the front seat. He sped off, red lights flashing vibrantly in the dark.

Raf shivered, hands gripped to the unmoving wheel in front of him.

"What happened?" Raf finally asked when they were well on their way.

"I...," Ratchet sputtered a response. "I don't know."

OoOoOoO

Damien fiddled with the camera, checking cables, checking their connections. He kept grimacing, glaring at Micah and Lucy intermittently before going back to the video. 

It ran through the video on the small TV he and Micah had hooked up the HDMI cable to. It as dark, fuzzy. Their voices were coming through the tinny speakers, full of mutual snark. 

Lucy pacing again, holding her arms tightly, still rubbing at her elbows. She glanced at Micah on the couch. He was wringing the old rag they used to wipe off the goo from the camera. They had long since given up on getting a decent sample. There seemed like there had been so much less the camera as there was in the dark. 

Lucy sat down on the other nearly wringing her fingers. 

“Okay, we should be getting to the good part!” Damien yelped. 

Lucy’s eyes shot daggers at him, before sitting next to Micah on her couch. 

Damien leaned in from behind, his head popping between their’s as he clasped his hand on their shoulders.

“What it that shadow?” Lucy asked, her finger shaking as she brushed it against the screen. “It’s huge.” The shadow took up much of the wall, it’s arms spindly and it moved closer before seemingly disappearing. 

“That doesn’t look much like a person,” Micah commented. 

“Shadowman?” He speculated. glancing up at Damien.

Damien shrugged. “Trick of the light?” 

“It needs to be thoroughly debunked,” he added after a moment and a long, hard swallow. 

“We’ll look back through it,” Micah said, marking the time that Lucy noted the anomaly. He leaned in, squinting at the screen, “Now that is odd. Seems like there is another one, at the top of the screen.”

“Right about when we felt that thing,” Lucy added. 

“Then the spirit box went nuts,” Damien said, pulling from the back pocket of his jeans. 

“Yeah, hear us?” Micah asked, pointing them both to the screen. 

Suddenly, there were three flashes on the screen. 

Lucy’s eyes snapped open. Someone was knocking. 

“Turn it off,” she hissed before blinking. The screen was already dark. 

“I’ve got it,” Damien said, jumping up and coming to. He approached the door slowly before peering through the peephole. 

“Who is it?” Lucy asked loud enough to be heard on the other side once she gathered her courage. 

There was a strange noise of metal and plastic twisting and contorting beside her. Lucy looked down, staring for a moment at the little robot that the camera had become. She looked away, maybe if she pretended not to see it it would go away. 

“Open up,” Came from the other side of the door. 

“Police,” said the other voice, there was a hint of a smirk.

“Two dudes, in suits,” Damien mouthed.

“Shit, shit, shit, shit!” Micah muttered, sitting down on the couch again. “Shit.” He started to rock back and forth.

“Hold up a badge,” Damien said. “Fuck,” he mouthed, looking at Lucy again. “Do you need to flush anything?”

She shook her head slowly, before finally gesturing toward the door and nodding. 

Damien reached, undoing the chain, then the deadbolt. He twisted the second deadbolt, before finally, he turned the knob.

Two black men in identical suits stood before him, one in black with a blue shirt, the other in red with a black shirt. Both had tiny, small purple pins on their lapels in the shapes of masks. The both wore dark sunglasses, and similarly themed hats.

“Thought you were going to make us wait out there all day,” Red said. 

“Wouldn’t want to have to break down the door,” Purple added.

“Why are you here?” Lucy asked before the three ghost-hunters looks amongst each other. 

“To make sure the Master’s will is done.”

“Right,” Lucy said, nodding. 

Red frowned, bending down to pick up the robot the camera had become. “He might find this interesting too”

“Useful even.” He sniffed the air. “Energon, cyber-matter. From the Nemesis?”

“Most likely, good brother,” Red agreed, feeding the camera-bot a glowing treat from his hand. 

“Uh huh,” Micah blinked before looking at Red and Purple. “What is our master’s will.”

“To free him,” Purple said.

“We just need a few things,” Red added.

OoOoOoOoO

“Everything okay?” Jack asked when he slipped into the main room of the Autobot’s Earthbound stronghold. 

Ratchet grunted as he looked up from the recharger. 

“So not good?” Jack asked, walking over to Raf. 

“I don’t know,” Rafael looked up from his monitor. “We followed an Energon trail that disappeared. Then…” He glanced at Ratchet. 

“I felt a power drain.” Ratchet admitted, shaking his head slowly. “Since I could not determine a source, I decided a retreat was in order.”

“Oh,” Jack admitted, sliding into a chair. “Did you take back up?”

“I was a faint trace, looked like lost tech,” Raf added. “There was no need.”

Jack furrowed his brow. “Could it be an unaccounted for energon harvester?”

“Hardly,” Ratchet replied. “In the middle of a city with no record of such discoveries?”

“And,” Raf added. “It drained the power from my flashlight and ‘Droid.” 

“So things that don’t work on Energon?”

“Pure electrical power,” Ratchet agreed. 

“This needs to be investigated,” Jack turned in his chair. “Why didn’t you call Bill?”

“Because,” Ratchet stood, removing the cabling from the charger from his arm. “This was supposed to be what he calls ‘a milk run.’”

Jack looked between the ‘Bot’s face and Raf’s. He opened his mouth before closing it. He decided not to remind either of them how Fowler’s milk runs usually went. They both mirrored their mutual annoyance. Neither of them liked being spooked off from an assignment. But if something was capable of draining the electrical power from anything around, it needed to be stopped.

“Any ‘Cons on Earth we know capable of doing this?”

“None that I can think of,” Ratchet admitted. “None still alive, at least.”

“Still alive?” Jack asked.

“Well, yeah,” Ratchet said, “I mean, I know a few on our side that could do this, but clearly they are not here.” 

“Clearly,” Jack said dryly, running a hand through his short hair. “You sure there weren’t any landings?” 

“Positive,” Ratchet snapped, “It has to be an artifact. Maybe the ‘Cons stashed something there. It has been abandoned for a very, very long time.” 

“There is that,” Rafael agreed. “Maybe we should go back, do a bit more of a search.” It was clear that he was not entirely keen on such a mission. It was more up to Miko’s speed. 

“How about I call Bill and see what he can organize for us,” Jack offered as he notice both Raf and Ratchet’s hesitance. 

“Might not be a bad idea,” Ratchet huffed. he wasn’t in a hurry to go back either, but there was still worry in his tone. 

It worried Jack to see them both so shaken. They had both taken on some of the worst of the Cons, and this was upsetting them? It was a puzzle. 

“It’s an idea,” Jack said. “It there is an artifact there we don’t want to leave it lying around for some group like MECH to find, right?”

Ratchet nodded and wished that Bumblebee or Smokescreen was on Earth. They would have liked this sort of mission.

“Bah!” Ratchet waved it away, standing with a few creaks coming from his joints. “We will go, us three. We will deal with this threat.” 

He poked a finger up into the air for effect. “Without additional aid!”

“I don…” Jack glanced at Rafael, seeing the same resolute look echo across the younger boy’s face. “Sure. But we will tackle this with a plan. And, I’ll ride Sadie.”

“Gah!” Ratchet’s jaw dropped. “You’d take a human transport!”

“No offense, but we might need it,” Jack stood.

“Fine, fine,” he agreed in annoyance. “We will need to find the van the humans drove off in. I suspect they were carrying more than they fully understood.”

“Do we have any clue?” Jack looked at Raf.

“I was checking the tag in the database.” He frowned. “But who knows how much I can trust it. It looks legit though.” 

“Who is it registered too?” 

“Damien Madden,” Raf said. “I think this is him.” 

He turned the laptop to show a ghost hunting website. “At least, he’s all over it, but the URL registered to Micah Kendrick.” 

“Who’s the girl?” Jack asked, pointing the girl with the sour faced look on her face to the left of the tall, athletic ghost hunter.

“Lucy Cruz,” Raf added. “Medium, etc.”

“So….” Jack frowned. “This much since you got back?”

“And I’m following her on Twitter,” Raf said. “But it looks like she’s been quiet all night.”

“Of course,” Jack stabbed at a statement, still astounded. He always envied Raf’s proficiency with cyber investigations. 

“Ha!” Ratchet laughed, pointing at the ghostly moving gifs on the web page and eternal flames that lead to Lucy’s witch’s website. 

“I think they’re supposed to be ironic?” Raf ventured.

“Or something.” Jack agreed. “Its making my eyes hurt.”

Raf barked off a laughed, “Kinda odd these three would be involved with...yeah. It’s all kinda weird.” 

Jack snorted, “Weird doesn’t even cover it. I wonder if they really believe in all of that hocus pocus.” 

Raf shrugged, “Doesn’t matter, we should get going and try to find them. They might be in trouble. And if they have gotten ahold of some old tech...” 

“Yeah, yeah,” Ratchet grumbled, “Enough talk.” 

The boys exchanged a glance. Ratchet’s impatience was clear. “Are we leaving or not?” 

Raf grabbed his laptop, tucking it into his bag, “Ready as I will ever be.” He gave Ratchet a cheeky little grin. I have their addresses on my phone. Let’s try that first. And I got the addresses of their employers.”

“Sounds like a plan, let’s roll out then,” Jack said all seriousness. 

Raf watched the older boy walk towards the door, he had never been the same since Optimus left. He was serious before, but was now a million times more so. Raf couldn't help but worry for him. 

Jack pulled his blaster holster off the coat rack, then climbed on his smoke grey and black motorcycle. Helmet on, he revved the engine. Ratchet transformed as the groundbridge blazed to life. 

OoOoOoOoO

"So this is the medium's place," Jack asked into the mic mounted into helmet.

"I believe so," Rachet agreed in his ear. 

Jack circled around darkened ambulance Ratchet and Raf before settling and parking his bike in an alley across the street. It was an old building, in a part of town he guessed could have been called rundown. 

He scanned slowly, leaving his visor down. There was a drug deal on the corner, and they were two blocks off where he had spotted a couple prostitutes plying their trade. A stray ambulance wasn't going to draw too much attention. 

Two thugs walked by. They made a move towards him. He lifted his visor, looking at them both before squaring his shoulders for a fight. He almost willed them to come after him, and give him an excuse. A couple of gangbangers had to be almost as good as fighting Eradicons. 

They moved on instead, and Jack grimaced. 

"I need something to do," he whispered.

"Were on a stakeout," Raf replied. "What else did you expect?"

"Wait, someone's coming out," Jack said.

"My facial recognition says it is the girl, and the loudmouth host," Ratchet said. 

“Loudmouth?” Jack asked.

Raf giggled, “We found their YouTube page.”

“Seriously?” Jack groaned.

"Wait There's an energon reading,” Raf added.

"By the All Spark! And cyber-matter." Ratchet realized. 

Jack squinted, seeing the girl carry her purse awkwardly in front of her like she was watching something inside of it. It seemed like it was moving on its own, as if something was struggling to get out. 

"Something is definitely up."

The two ghost hunters were arguing, but Jack couldn't make it out as they climbed into the a rusted, powder blue Stanza. 

"Third one must still be inside," Jack surmised. "I’ll watch out for him. You two follow that purse." 

Ratchet chuckled, engine rumbling to life when the car was a block away.

"Stay out of trouble," Ratchet bade him.

"Who me?" Jack smirked, watching the door to the apartment complex intently. When they were gone, Jack pulled his blaster out. He set it for the tightest, narrowest beam possible before pointing it at the street light closest to him. He fired to wrap the darkness around him while he waited.

OoOoOoO

“Damn it,” Micah said, tripping over brick. He looked up, sighing as he saw the darkened lamp. 

“Keep moving,” Purple said, just behind Micah. “You drive.”

“You haven’t told us what you need any of us for,” Micah looked back. 

Red lowered his shades again, looking Micah in the eye. “How about you mind your own damn business and do as your told.”

“Right,” Micah agreed, stumbling forward. He felt a low rumble in the back of his head, like he was being pounded by bass. But no one drove by blasting the neighborhood with club music. The same time, he felt something like a dog whistle in his ears. He shut his eyes from the brief spike of pain as he fumbled for his key before getting it into the door of Damien’s van. 

It was sort of his, and sort of owned it with Damien. Damien had the better credit, and the title was in his name, but Micah. Micah chuckled, thinking about the strange things that run through a person’s mind when he was probably going to die. Red opened the side door, and the brothers slid in. 

Micah looked beside him, seeing the two of them sit beside him. They both stared ahead.

“Drive,” Purple said. 

“You never told me where,” Micah replied.

Red glanced at Purple. They were quiet for a long moment. 

“We can’t exactly load up a robot from an auto plant,” Micah added.

There was more silence as they conferred. Micah began to drum his fingers on the steering wheel, still obeying the compulsion to wait. He turned the key in the ignition, sighing as the engine angrily turned over. Micah’s eyes widened. The lights on the dash were brighter than they had been before. The brake pedal pushed up against his foot, the accelerator slid down as they wheel turned under his hands.

Micah swallowed.

“Don’t worry about that,” Red finally said, patting the van. 

“I think you got something on your van,” Purple smirked. “But we’re still going to need a little more help.”

OoOoOoOoO

Jack watched from the darkened alleyway, astride his bike. Times like these, he missed Arcee the most. He stroked the front of the frame, as like he was stroking the mane of a trusted horse. She was in Cybertron with the others, rebuilding their world, while mourning Optimus and the rest of their dead. She had no time for partners. 

Or maybe she just had Smokescreen?

He bought his bike in memory of her, and named it Sadie. He still hadn’t even gotten around to telling her in any of the video emails they exchanged. He remembered her real expression, her real thoughts when she told him about Optimus’ sacrifice for the All Spark. He was the closest thing either of them could want in a father. 

And now, he had lost them both. He resisted the urge to replay her message. He needed to stick to the mission just like she would. 

The remaining ghost hunter came out of the apartment building, stumbling his way to the van. He was talking. Jack lowered his visor, tapping the side to zoom and get a better view. Two shadows appeared on the head’s up display. There were two energy signatures at either side of Micah that were not there before. They were hottest in two, dragonfly sized specks about shoulder high from the man.

Jack raised the visor as quietly as possible, and they were gone. When he had the HUD back up, and the visor down again. The van was coming to life.

“Shit,” Jack said. Its signature was different than any car he had seen. It looked almost… “No fragging way.”

He made a move to contact Ratchet that the cyber-matter must have infected something else, but the van was pulling out. 

He started up his bike, leaned forward and started out after them. 

OoOoOoOoO

“So,” Micah had folded his arms somewhere during the ride. He had given up pretending to be in control some blocks before. “Can’t you just let me out on the corner?”

“No, human,” Red replied. 

“So…” Micah’s voice trailed off as he stared forward. There’s that bike again, he thought, seeing in it the side mirror. He wondered if it would be important to the two brothers. The way they seemed to stare forward made them seem busy. 

They had slowed, driving into a different, mostly deserted part of town. It looked like they had found the city impound lot. 

“Busting a friend out?” 

“I won’t call him a friend,” Red said as he opened the van’s door. 

“But something like that,” Purple added. “And if he don’t help, it’ll be emphasis on bust.”

Micah cast a glance out the window to the mirror. The black rider was silently a half a block back. Micah swallowed. Was he friendly, or was he part of this?

There was a spark as the locks fell away from the gate on the impound lot.

“You coming?” Purple popped his head back in the cab of the van.

“Uhmm…” 

“That wasn’t a request. Get out there and be useful.” 

Purple and Red stood in front of the gate. Micah stared at the “Beware of Dog” sign. He winced, hearing the high pitched squeal that muffled blotted out the frenzy of barking. There was a yelp, and the sound of running away. Micah kept an eye out for cameras, silent alarms, anything that would draw attention. But he resisted any temptation to cause a disturbance and run.

“Open it,” Red said. 

Sighing again, Micah shrugged. “Lazy ass suits,” he muttered as he yanked, pulling the gate along its track. The tire shredders pointing in popped up from the paved ground. 

“So if you plan on driving your robot out,” Micah said. “We might have a problem.”

Ignoring him, Purple started to yell. “Steve! You better get out here!” 

Micah turned, looking for a person. Then he heard that sound again. It was just like the camera, but louder. The sound of metal scraping metal, changing form, twisting and turning until a black and purple car was now standing lankily above them. 

“Ratchet,” Jack commed into his helmet. “I think I have found the deserter, called ‘Steve.’”

“The Eradicon?” Ratchet asked, his icon popping in the periphery of Jack’s vision. “My, my, my.”

“He was hiding out in a junkyard, and our friend here just found him,” Jack sighed. “And he’s with these two…things. I can’t quite describe them, but they are energy signatures that look like they are cloaked projections.”

“Damn,” Ratchet said with a certain gravity and comprehension Jack always hated. It never meant anything good. 

“And, there’s one more thing, could the cyber matter and energon bring things to life?”

“I uh….” Jack hated Ratchet’s hesitation even more.

“It might be possible, in small doses. The building blocks of Primus is a powerful thing.” Ratchet added. “But without being touched by the All Spark… Is it truly alive?”

“Let’s not get philosophical,” Jack said. Predaking was a clone, and Jack was not about to question his existence. “Because the van just transformed and is now menacing Steve like a gorilla.”

“Primus!” Ratchet replied. “Let me see.” 

With a few flicks of his eye, Jack streamed the video to Ratchet. He gripped the handlebars, wondering what he should do before going down to his blaster. Steve was aiming at the van, his appendage transformed to a weapon. He moved between them and the hovering specks. 

The human was running, and the specks were getting out of the way. One of the specks was hovering above Steve. There was a shock, and Steve transformed.

The human was still running towards Jack. In indecision, Jack waited a moment. Micah crashed to his knees just as a high pitched squeal flooded Jack’s ears. Stars formed in his eyes until his helmet could adjust to filter the noise.

Bringing his bike to life, he turned, racing away. He frowned, realizing there was nothing he could do for the unconscious human. 

“Ratchet!” Jack screamed as he sped through the streets, not looking back to see if he was being followed. “They’re on to me.”

“Jack,” Ratchet’s voice filled his head. The sorrow in it would have been overwhelming if it were not for the the adrenaline racing through his veins. “They have taken Raphael.” 

OoOoOoOoO

“Oh, this is not good,” Red said to Purple before he climbed into Steve’s front seat. 

“Not good at all,” Purple agreed. “Should I pursue?”

“We cannot get distracted. The master calls us. He’s impatient.”

“With the supplies, and these two, we shall be able to fulfill his will.”

“Yes, brother,” Red agree, even if he frowned from frustration. 

Purple looked at the hulking van. “Grape Ape, go pick up the human.”

He turned back to his brother, “Take Speedy to the Master and begin our work.”

“Do we still need the humans?” Red looked over his sunglasses.

“They’ve seen us. They’ll talk.”

“And the biker?” 

“We will be seeing him again. He is with the Autobots, and our other two have one of them in their custody.”

“Then we shall be going.”

OoOoOoOoO

Ratchet and Raf had followed the ancient blue car to the nearest all night hardware store, which happened to be a Home Depot. For the past fifteen minutes, they had done nothing but watch the car rust while the two were inside the store. 

“Late night trips to the hardware store usually aren’t good,” Raf said.

“I believe so,” Ratchet agreed. “From the dilapidation of the building, and their transport, I doubt this is a sudden urge at home improvement. Primus, take me if I ever fall into such disrepair!”

Raf frowned, quiet on the fact that only a few months before, Ratchet was determined to do that and worse. 

“I should go inside, find out what they are buying.”

“I don’t know,” Ratchet said. “There might be a curfew, and you’re not of age.”

“I’ll just say I’m with my dad, or getting something for my mom who works late and the plumbing busted,” he smirked. “I’m nerdy. They won’t think I’m there to cause trouble.”

Raf reached into his bag, “I’ll take clipboard. No one questions a clipboard.” 

“Fine,” Ratchet agreed. “Just don’t cause trouble.”

Raf clicked a pen and hastily scribbled a list of items of his own. It was all wiring and electrical items, and a water heater thermostat, like his was busted. 

He scurried through the parking lot, ducking between cars until he popped out away from Ratchet. No one needed to see him leave an ambulance.

OoOoOoOoO

“So is this it?” Damien looked down at the list in Lucy’s hand before looking at the cart filled with stuff. They had sheets of metal laying on the bottom. Then there was the several types of cables and wires Damien only guessed Micah knew what to do with.

“Yep,” she plucked the wire cutters off the shelf. She grabbed three sets of gloves and goggles.

“Good thinking, I doubt the master cares much if we get burned,” Damien agreed, swallowing hard.

Impulsively, Lucy picked up a small coffee maker, some coffee, filters, and gestured for Damien to put a case of water on top.

“I’ll be a long night,” she stretched, already yawning. She patted her purse, which she still carried in front of her, like it might be snatched, or crawl away. She kept it firmly closed, just in case. 

She eyed the registers. The glanced at the doors. Every exit was blocked by a place to pay. It was smart thinking in case someone planned on just pushing a cart full of crap out the door without paying. Biting her lip, she huffed. “How are we paying for all this?”

“Uh,” Damien glanced at her purse.

“Of course,” She shook her head, worrying her lip more. “You should cut back on your trips to GNC, or get a job.”

He made a face back at her, mocking her tone before flexing his arms. 

“Whatever,” She put her hand up, disgusted before striding to the register with Damien in tow. 

Damien loaded stuff on the conveyer belt, while the cashier came around to scan the largest items. Lucy watched the total rise, swallowing hard.

“A little late night tinkering?” The cashier asked.

“Well, evil, killer robots don’t build themselves,” Damien joked, smirking. He glanced at Lucy, wondering if that could be true.

“Cool, like Battlebots,” 

“Exactly,” Damien said, giving the kid another look at his biceps. Carefully, Lucy swiped her card. She tapped her foot and hoped.

“I didn’t see an RC component,” the cashier said, looking like he was helpful.

“Came today. Ebay,” Damien winked. 

“Oh,” The cashier looked back at the register. “It declined. I’m sorry.”

“I…” Lucy routed around her bag. Her hand came across another piece of plastic next to the machine. It wiggled her way. She held her bag close to her mouth. “Do something about this.” 

The register blipped, as if it accepted the purchase. 

“Huh, weird,” the cashier said. “I guess, I was wrong. Well, happy building.”

“Thanks,” Lucy smiled more broadly than she normally would. she blinked, wondering if the magic camera had done something useful than tell them what to do.

“Look,” She glanced at Damien. She nodded towards the restroom. The stress was making her bladder want to explode.

“Fine,” he sighed. She pushed her purse at him. “What? No!”

“I’m not taking that thing with me while I piss,” She said. “You watch it. Be a good boy.”

“Fine,” He huffed, turning around. He frowned, standing near their pile of crap. 

“A little late to be out, huh?” The cashier said to a kid checking out with a small pile of stuff. 

“Mom needs the hot water,” He shrugged. “You know how it is.”

“Yeah, well, you be careful with the solder,” The cashier warned him, as the kid offered him cash. 

Damien turned around to look back at the ladie’s room door. How long was she going to take? He held the purse loosely in his hands. He did not any one to think the great, white thing was his. He hefted it, getting a feel for the weight. The camera wasn’t that heavy when he used it during their shoot. What other crap did she keep in there? 

He was tempted to look, but he really did not want to face the camera again. It was always watching, listening.

There was a hard bump. He toppled over, dropping the bag. 

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” The hot water kid said to him. Damien stood up, unsure for a moment, dusting himself off. He eyed where he thought the kid was supposed to be before looking over at Lucy’s purse.

“Get him,” He heard in his head as he saw the kid take off out the door. 

After a moment of trying to fight against the compulsion, he took off. 

The kid was halfway through the parking lot when Damien got his hand on Raf. He yanked him hard, driving him to the ground. It seemed like he was headed towards an ambulance parked at the end of the lot. 

“Make another move, and you’ll spend a night in Juvie,” Damien barked. He snatched the purse back. 

“Bring him,” whispered in Damien’s ear. 

“Where the hell…?” Lucy yelled, pushing the cart towards quickly. “How could you just leave me with…”

She looked down at Raf, “Oh.”

Raf looked back at them. “I’m sorry, I swear.”

“We have to bring him along,” Damien said to Lucy.

Suddenly, they were in a great shadow, and Damien’s hand was in Lucy’s purse. The camera melded around his hand as he pulled it out.

“You most certainly not talking him with you,” Ratchet said. He glowered down, ignoring the stares from the people around them. 

Damien looked up at him, pointing the newly created blaster at Raf, while holding him with his other hand. 

“We are,” He said. “Lucy, pack the shit in the car.”

“Right,” She replied, bug eyed. 

She opened the hatchback and started throwing in what she could. 

“Leave the sheet metal,” Damien said. “The master no longer needs it.”

“Right,” She glanced up at Ratchet who looked on them both helplessly. He was caught in indecision. They were beginning to draw a crowd. 

The three of them piled into the Stanza, peeling out. Quickly, Ratchet transformed and raced after them. His lights flashing. 

He did not need to follow, however. He dropped back to safety and to blend back in. He turned his lights off as the reality settled in. The mini-bots, the cyber-matter, the assertive mind control, it led to one thing, and he shivered at the thought of facing that all seeing malevolence once more.

OoOoOoOoO

Raf struggled, his wrists were bound behind him in the thick, electrical wire that had been in his bag. Some blocks ago, Ratchet’s lights had disappeared from behind them. Still, he knew that his friends would follow. He scowled as they slowed in the old car near the entrance of the power station. It was not a surprise, but the massive building compounded the sense of foreboding in the pit of his stomach. This could not end well. 

He still could not help but wonder just how confused the whole operation. He could hear the two adults murmuring, and the faint mutterings of Cybertronian coming from the purse that was delivering its instructions. It was like listening to Bumblebee before he regained his voice, but in lower tones, like whispers. They were there, but at the same time not. He closed his eyes, trying to make out what it was saying, hoping it would give him some kind of edge. 

He jerked, something was crawling, creeping along the fabric of his shirt. It was cold. Its metallic feet pricked at his skin. He bit his lip, before finally opening his eyes. 

He looked directly into the camera eye. It flashed, drawing closer to him. The camera-bot sent pincers around, cutting the wires that bound him. He rubbed his wrists as the door opened beside him. 

The camera jumped out, landing on Damien’s shoulder. Slowly, Raf followed, taking an uneasy step. He bit his lip, grimacing. He looked to the taller man. It seemed like his eyes has become duller, his face slacker since he was taken. The camera lunged again, transforming and twisting over Damien’s hand.

“Now what?” Lucy asked, looking to her partner in crime.

“You don’t know?” He gestured to Raf. “He has a job to do.”

“I do,” Rafael said, looking down, repressing the urge to shiver. It felt like his mind was being opened up and rewritten by malicious code. He already knew what needed to be done. The moves were already familiar. The Master waited, and needed him to complete his commands.

OoOoOoOoOoO

“I don’t like this,” Jack muttered into his microphone as he rolled up quietly, walking his bike the last hundred feet over the gravel. Lights were flashing deep within the power station. The heat signature suggested it was operational again.

“It wasn’t like this when you left, was it?” He asked Ratchet, looking up at the great bot, transformed with a blaster out.

“Primus, no. There seems to be more of the creation matter. It is almost being synthesised out of the rusting hulk of this place.”

“Not good.” Jack said, tucking his bike in a corner, pointed in case they needed to run. 

“Why would it be?”

Jack pulled his own blaster. “We’re bound to get lucky once.”

“And luck into a trap,” Ratchet added.

“Should we call for back up?”

“Do we have the time?”

“No,” Jack raised his weapon. “We don’t. How are we going to do this?”

Ratchet shivered, remembering the last time he was here and the malevolent presence, “I wish I could say guns blazing. Probably through the loading dock.” 

Jack nodded, hefting his blaster and taking off the safety. “Let’s go. No use prolonging the inevitable.” 

He moved towards the side entrance, Ratchet following cautiously behind him. The lights around the power plant brightened casting an eerie glow. A hum began to emanate from the building, and steam heaved from the stacks high above them sending a mist through the clearing that the building resided in.

“Any of this toxic?” Jack asked.

“Not…” Ratchet hesitated for a moment. “Not that I can tell.”

Still, Jack lowered his visor, letting it filter the air. It was easier to face it impassively. He could see shapes moving in the depths, some large ones. 

“The matter,” Ratchet said. “I do believe this building is changing.”

“Yes,” Jack ran a gloved palm over a wall. It was warm, like a human, or Cybertronian. Tubing, welding torches, ancient machines moved about them. 

Ratchet moved slowly, taking a creeping step for Jack’s three. The newly formed creatures moved out of their way. 

“Its like creeping through the woods,” Jack said.

“Or the vast sewers under the cities of Polyhex.”

“Or Kaon,” Jack countered as he swept his blaster from side to side, targeting as he went.

“Hmm,” Ratchet considered. “Once...there were vast cityformers. Mega-titans! Some of us lived in these...complexes. They were alive. This seems no different.” They moved deeper into the darkness, moving slowly and silently. 

Ratchet kept an optic on Jack. He was scared he would lose this one too, but it was not something he would voice. Jack would not appreciate it. He wasn’t Raf, and prickled under any show of concern. More so now. He had changed. They had all changed. Even he had changed since coming to this wretched organic rock he loved as a home. Bumblebee’s Cybertron was not his Cybertron, and no matter how much he wished it, he could never go home. Never go back. 

It seemed it was increasingly the same for Unicron’s spawn as well. But, what would this do? What would the remains of Darkmount do to the world when they were discovered? 

The building pulsed, a humming frequency that Ratchet knew all too well. It seemed to grow and change in pitch until even Jack could hear it. Energon flowed in unseen pipes. Soon, Ratchet realized they were following them.

They stopped at the entrance to a large room, presumably where the great coal driven power generators once stood. The remaining metal had been twisted, contorted into two great rings opposing each other. Ratchet’s mandible nearly dropped in shock. 

“Is that a...it sounds like...” Jack whispered. The subtle green glow grew, and in the distance Jack could make out a familiar outline. It was sitting atop a large control panel. Two balls of light and circuitry hovered at either side of him. “Is that Raf?” 

Ratchet optics focused tightly. The shapes were fleeting and obscured by the mist seeping through the building. 

“I believe it is,” Ratchet said. “Where are the other humans?”

“I…” Jack searched in the mists, searching for human-like heat patterns. 

“They are below,” Jack finally said finding the frequencies after far too long. There was so much energy moving about Jack was hard pressed to find what he had been looking for even with his fine-tuned equipment. “I can barely make them out though. There are...other frequencies. Spark signatures down there. We should have called for backup.” 

“Do you really think we had time to contact Bumblebee and for him to find someone to send.” 

“You have a point,” Jack whispered. Ratchet knew he was wishing Arcee was at his side. Ratchet couldn’t blame him. Nor could he blame Jack for the resentment the young man felt. He hid it well. 

They circled around, drawing closer to the groundbridges. Their light grew brighter as they warmed up. Eventually they watched Raf climb down from his perch, and began to work on a control panel off to the side of both bridges. He moved like a sleepwalker, his movement lacking all of the fluidity that it normally possessed. 

Ratchet almost called out to him on reflex, but thought better of it.

“This could mean only one thing,” Jack frowned, stepping forward.

“Precisely,” Ratchet agreed. 

He turned, seeing the large purple gorilla of a bot just as it slammed into him. He fell forward a few dozen feet, crashing to his feet.

Jack took up the fight instead, turning to fire in steady pulses, keeping the newly formed bot at bay. 

It was then that the groundbridges came to life, their energies colliding. Ratchet gasped, looking up. Great, snake like arms appeared from the metalwork. They coiled around Ratchet, wrapping him tight, lifting him up above the vortex. 

The hulk of the van was laid to waste by Jack, its form sparked as it was subsumed by the walls. Jack turned, ignoring the slain beast. He fought off his own attacking snakes. He gritted his teeth, unable to spare a moment to help Ratchet.

The red and white mech thrashed in the snakes hold, but was unable to break free, and Jack was hard pressed to get a clean shot. He didn’t think things could get any worse...

Until the vortex of the groundbridges began to bend, and merge, flickering with eldritch light. The green fire rippled and bent, refracting as first one large silver tentacle and then a second emerged. Jack know those limbs. 

He took a step back, stumbling. He was stunned for one moment before he began to fire in earnest at the snake-like appendages holding Ratchet suspended. The tentacles drifted close to the medic, far too close to Ratchet for Jack’s comfort. 

The groundbridge rippled and warped as the owner of the tentacles stepped forth. Purple bio-lights flickered in the dim light, and Soundwave’s blank visor looked up, focusing on Ratchet. 

“Soundwave: Superior. Ratchet: Inferior.” Soundwave’s voice echoed through the living structure. 

Ratchet was being drawn closer and closer to Soundwave. Soundwave bent. His visor looked down, into Ratchet’s face. Energies crackled and tore at the aether around them. His tentacles snaked out, connecting with Ratchet. The old bot spasmed, crying out. Reaching out, he took hold of the cabling connecting the both of them together. He twisted, pulling, tearing. He screamed louder, the lights in his optics growing faint.

Soundwave stood taller, holding Ratchet aloft, above his head.

“Raf!” Jack yelled, ripping his helmet off, hoping to get through to his friend. “You have to shut it down!” 

Jack started running towards Soundwave, firing his blaster, ignoring the pressing feeling something was coming after him. A human hand suddenly gripped his shoulder, pulling him back, whirling him around. He recognized the face, it the was leader of the ghost hunters, Damien. He shrugged him off, skipping back a step. 

He readied his turn to continue to help Ratchet. Damien rushed him, bearing in with his shoulder. Jack turned, letting Damien crash past as Jack brought his blaster up. 

Involuntarily, instinctually, just as he drilled with Arcee and Agent Fowler time and time again, he pulled the trigger, firing. 

The blaster bolt tore through Damien’s torso, leaving singed flesh. Jack moved past the smoldering corpse, watching Soundwave and Ratchet. He had no idea what he could do to stop, but he had to try.

Before he could stop, a tentacle was about him, lofting him up as well. “Raf!” he yelled. “Raf, help us!” 

It squeezed Jack tightly as it drew him closer to Ratchet and Soundwave before it swung back, slamming his arm against a pillar. His gun fell, dropping to the floor several feet below. 

Jack screamed, pushing at the tentacle still holding him aloft. “RAF! HELP!”

The noise seemed to startle Raf out of his daze. The boy looked up, meeting Jack’s gaze. He looked wide eyed at Ratchet. Limp, seemingly lifeless and slowly greying, Soundwave’s tentacles tossed Ratchet through the portal. Then it collapsed.

Jack gasped, his eyes wide before the needs of survival set in. 

Finally, the bonds slacked enough for him to wiggle free, slipping from the grasp of the tentacles. 

He hit the floor hard, and rolled instinctively grabbing for the blaster where it had fallen to the floor. Two sprites followed. He shot at Soundwave, but the mech jumped into the air neatly transforming. He shot off before Jack could even make the shot. Jack watched the contrails ascend into through the broken ceiling. 

Dust fell as Jack knelt, fallen to his knees. He sighed heavily, mournfully. He wanted to sob. He wanted to strike out. He wanted to kill.

He looked up at the perch where Rafael stood, dazed. How could he? How did this happen? 

He picked up his blaster again. He stood up. He started towards the perch. 

“Jack?” Raf asked, looking down at Jack. 

Jack continued to walk before raising his blaster at the dias. They had lost too much. Ratchet was too far. Raf, how could he bend so easily?

“No!” One of the humans screamed from somewhere behind Jack. “Oh, fuck.” It was the girl. Jack spun, glaring. He swallowed hard as he saw a freshly aware Lucy and Micah around their friend’s body. 

He did that, Jack realized, as he touched the barrel of his still warm blaster. He killed. He killed a man not much older than himself. He could have stopped him, but he just fired. 

He looked back at Rafael. He was shaking his head, his eyes wide. His hands were moving quickly. 

“Jack, hurry!” He yelled. “Remember Bumblebee! We might have a chance!”

“What?” Jack asked, looking around.

“Get some of the goo!”

“Oh!” His eyes lit up with hope. 

“You two,” He yelled at Micah and Lucy. “Get over here,” he turned looking behind the two humans where the vehicon was shaking his head, coming back to himself. Steve. Jack narrowed his eyes. “And you too Steve. I need you to get Ratchet out of the gate.” 

The vehicon looked to him, optics widening, “I’m not going in there.” 

“Oh. You will,” he said leveling the blaster at the mech.

The vehicon stood on shaky legs, and moved towards the gate. It flared on, the streams crossing and the vehicon stepped towards it without further protest, not with the blaster still leveled at him. he had seen the way that Jack had dropped the van. He didn’t want his spark extinguished. He had come too far to die like that. 

“Fine, whatever,” Steve said, moving towards the gate. He looked towards the gate, moved to it, and stepped inside the green vortex. 

A minute passed and Jack and Raf gathered as much goo as he could, smearing it across both of them in the process. They didn’t worry about it, too concerned when they saw Rachet’s frame pulled out of the green tunnel by Steve. They both rushed over, Jack dropping his blaster on the floor as he climbed up and began smearing the bot’s frame with the goo. He smeared it all across Ratchet’s chestplates, over his spark, and stepped back waiting to see what would happen. If anything would happen. The cybermatter glowed faintly, slowly disappeared into Ratchet’s frame, and after an eternity the old bot’s optics powered on. 

Raf let out a whoop, and threw himself at the mech. “Ratchet!”

“Rafael?” Ratchet asked, hesitantly. “What’s going on? Where are we?” 

Rafael exchanged glances. “Soundwave got away,” Raf finally said. 

Jack tilted his head, hearing the sirens outside the building. “And Fowler is on the way with the clean-up squad. Fuck this is a mess,” he said turning to the two humans still huddled over their friend. A big fucking mess. 

He was still scowling when the ‘back-up’ dropped down from the ceiling from ropes, dressed in black. 

“You guys are a little fucking late,” Jack snapped. 

They gave the all clear and soon Fowler himself came striding in, “What is all of this! Son, you’ve made a real mess of this.” 

“Yeah, I noticed, Soundwave...is free. He escaped from the shadowzone.”

“And these kids?” Fowler asked, motioning to the ghost hunters.

“Became entangled in Soundwaves machinations. They might prove to be useful,” Jack said.

The girl jumped to her feet, “You think we would help you after you killed our friend? You are crazy.” 

“Don’t think you have a choice,” Jack said gravely. 

She stared at him, eyes widening before she looked down at the dead body on the floor. “You can’t mean that. We wouldn’t help you. Y-you...”

“I had no choice. He was under Soundwave’s control. You were ALL under his control. I don’t think you understand what you have unleashed back on this world.” 

“Jack, they really don’t know. They don’t understand,” Ratchet said weakly. Steve helped the old mech sit up, and hovered close. 

“I don’t care,” Jack snapped and looked to Fowler, “Do you have the cleaning crew on their way?” 

“They are on standby,” Fowler said, “No one will know this ever happened,” He said and looked about as the creatures that hid in the shadows. 

Jack followed his gaze, and wondered what would happen to the creatures made from the cybermatter. Perhaps some of them would prove to be useful. 

Medics were taking over with the humans, edging around the mess and the newly formed Cyber-life. Jack pointed a medic towards Raf before striding out of the warzone. 

“Jackson Darby!” Fowler yelled out in command.

But Jack kept walking back towards the exit. He turned a corner, then another. He pushed his way past the Department of Defense clean up crew that were going to clean up his mess. He swallowed hard, speeding up as he passed the stretcher. His stomach rolled, knowing what it was for and why. 

He reached his bike, finally. He retched out his stomach, kneeling in the dirt and gravel, his hand tight around the grip.

“Jack?” He heard behind him.

He looked up, seeing the techie, Micah. “Yeah?”

“I know you shot Damien with your raygun,” His eyes widened as he shook his head, taking in the reality. “And he’s a friend…”

“So?” Jack ground out, standing up slowly, defensively. 

“Well, if you hadn’t rescued us,” He shrugged. “I don’t think whatever that--”

“Soundwave,” Jack corrected.

“Right, Soundwave. I don’t think he would have let Lucy and me live for longer than he needed to.” 

Micah stopped to scratch the back of his neck as he paused to consider his words, “For whatever that’s worth. Thank you.”

“I’m sorry about Damien,” Jack replied. “I… if there had been any other way.”

Micah held up his hand, “That goop doesn’t work on us, right?”

“Nope.”

“But giant, alien robots?”

“Giant alien robots,” Jack repeated.

“Fuck,” Micah smirked, looking back to see Steve help Ratchet limp out on two legs rather than four wheels. “Giant alien robots.”

“Transforming ones too,” A voice said from behind Jack. 

He looked back. “Sneaky, ones.” 

“Hey,” Arcee said, standing beside Smokescreen. But not too close, Jack noticed. “We missed the party.”

“Oh, did you ever,” Ratchet chuckled, continuing on. 

“Giant fucking alien robots,” Micah shook his head. “Where do I sign up?”


End file.
